The Truth Of Deportation

It is astonishing that the word “immigrant” has become such a controversial word, as the United States is a country founded by immigrants. Many want to counter the population of immigrants in the U.S. by deporting immigrants. Deportation is something that many immigrant families in the U.S. have to live in fear of regularly in their lives. Children as young as seven have to worry about arriving home only to realize one of their family members has been deported. No one should ever have to live in fear of their family being separated.

Image of support signs by The Global Post.

The fear of deportation is something that can be deeply rooted in the family and cause psychological problems, especially towards the children. By separating the parental source of the children, it can lead to depression, anxiety, and severe psychological distress.

“I felt oppressed. Imprisoned. I became numb. I did not enjoy playing anymore. I stopped being hungry,” (Alejandro, CNN).

Deportation can cause many adverse outcomes, especially on immigrants family.

Life After Deportation: Mothers Separated By Borders

#not1more Deportation

Graph by The New York Times.

There is a tiny percentage of immigrants that do have a criminal record. Many try to justify deportation by saying that immigrants commit crimes and don’t follow the law. That is not the case. Compared to the 11 million immigrants in the U.S. out of that number only 7.5% have been convicted of a crime, and only 300,000 have been convicted of a felony (Here’s the Reality About Illegal Immigrants in the United States, 20).

“You come risking everything” (The Washington Post)

Many immigrants are seeking asylum in the U.S. to escape dangers in their home country such as domestic violence, poverty, and gang violence, many on the migrants feeling are children with their family. To deport them back into those dangers is to leave them to fend for themselves when they are in great need of help.

Graph Showing Why Immigrants Come to the U.S.

Many immigrants in the United States do not deserve to live in fear of deportation when they have built a better life for themselves, have a family to look after and try everything they can to follow the laws of the United States. Deportation strikes fear into families. Families are afraid they will be ripped apart from each other and no family should ever live like that.

#familiesbelongtogether

Works Cited

“Beautiful Keep Families Together Poster by Rommy Torrico.” #Not1More Deportation, www.notonemoredeportation.com/portfolio/stop-deportations-rommy-torrico/.

“Make America White Again.” The Globe Post, The Globe Post, 8 Feb. 2018, theglobepost.com/2018/01/30/immigration-skilled-people/.

Flagg, Anna. “The Myth of the Criminal Immigrant.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Mar. 2018, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/30/upshot/crime-immigration-myth.html?hpw&rref=upshot&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well.

NowThis News. “Life After Deportation: Mothers Separated By Borders.” NowThis, NowThis News, 9 Feb. 2018, nowthisnews.com/videos/news/life-after-deportation-mothers-separated-by-borders.

“Families Belong Together.” Families Belong Together, www.familiesbelongtogether.org/.

Yee, Vivian, et al. “Here’s the Reality About Illegal Immigrants in the United States.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Mar. 2017, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/06/us/politics/undocumented-illegal-immigrants.html.

Kuznia, Rob. “Fleeing Domestic Violence in El Salvador, Mother’s Asylum Quest in U.S. Is Complex.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 1 July 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/national/fleeing-domestic-violence-in-el-salvador-mothers-asylum-quest-in-us-is-complex/2018/07/01/a9121e2c-7d47-11e8-bb6b-c1cb691f1402_story.html?utm_term=.6a34a28ee5ed.